Less than twelve months ago, the MANIC STREET PREACHERS dropped “Rewind The Film”, their eleventh studio album. It was a very mellow, quite stripped back affair, focusing on a sense of nostalgia and heritage. It lacked the usual bite the former Welsh punks can be renowned for but it was still a quality record. 2014 however already sees them release yet another album; “Futurology”. Two years, two albums and seemingly two opposite concepts…or are they simply lost creatively? Opening up with the album’s title track, it’s already clear that things are a little livelier this time around, a soft indie rock number utilising the melodious tones of James Dean Bradfield’s vocals, with a simple rhythm to Nicky Wire and Sean Moore’s respective playing. It’s a pleasant start. First single “Walk Me To The Bridge” has a slightly 80’s vibe to it musically, again, a simple track but with a chorus as bold as any, while “Europa Ghet Durch Mich” has a heavier, electronic pulse driving the song. Guest vocals from German actress Nina Hoss give the track extra bite and it makes for an interesting listen.“Sex, Power, Love And Money”and “Mayakovsky” are grittier guitar driven pieces, with the latter being primarily instrumental, while “Misguided Missile” and “Dreaming A City (Hugheskova)”…another instrumental…are both incredibly catchy and are both album highlights. Despite its title, what the Manic’s have treated us to with “Futurology” is a fine collection of tracks combining the sleek, seemingly effortless, modern observational song writing we've come to recognise from the Welsh rockers, with a slight retro nod to artists along the lines of KRAFTWERK and ULTRAVOX in places the way it’s all been delivered. It’s still very much a Manic’s album, but with just enough ingenuity to be fresh and more importantly, enjoyable. No matter what direction they take, be it rewinding or contemplating the future…it’s all irrelevant. What counts is the end product, and in album twelve they've proven yet again just how reliable they are. [8]

Described by some as a “four man punch in the face”and, “explosive, creative and unique”…there’s a lot of promise surrounding Oregon based alternative grunge rockers BLACK HARE. Inspired by the likes of CHIODOS and NIRVANA, we find the four-piece releasing their second album; “Seasons”…something tells me that it’s not going to be all Summery and fun… Kicking the album off with “Break Away”…we’re greeted with some simple guitars, it sounds slightly promising at the very least, before the vocals start up that is. Zacky Settergren’s vocal tone is, for the most part flat and occasionally down right unpleasant, but he can deliver a decent growl which when utilised is more than welcome. With regards to the guitars and the overall vibe of the song, it’s got a slight MISFITS feel to it but sadly that doesn't save it. “Sin Tax” has a little bit more weight behind it, heavier in its alt/punk roots and again, musically, it’s enjoyable, but you can’t help but wish it was just an instrumental for the sections where Settergren isn't shouting. The rest of the album is essentially more of the above; the odd shimmer of hope engulfed by poorly delivered vocals. Even the growls get on your nerves eventually and you just want the album to end, so when “Nite Lite” finishes and it does, there’s nothing but relief. As I said musically there is so much potential evident here; there’s an underlying quality to the album that can’t be denied, but it would benefit being used in a completely different band all together…such a shame. [4]The album "Seasons" is available now on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/seasons/id879567891

Taking one look at IN SEARCH OF SUN, you would be correct in thinking “I've seen these guys before…?” and that’s because you have! Formerly known as DRIVEN, this London based 5-piece have changed their name since their breakthrough EP, tweaked their style ever so slightly, done a spot of polishing and written their début full length album; “The World Is Yours”. Has the change of identity driven them on to bigger and better things, or have they found themselves travelling in reverse? Kicking off with the album’s title track, it’s nothing short of impressive. You can forget any notions of going backwards; this is finely tuned, finely written and brilliantly played hard rock of the highest quality. Rory Kay and David Mena Ferrer’s guitar work slick and almost seductive during the intro, while Adam Leader’s vocals are a commanding and powerful presence. “51 56” whilst despite being slower in pace makes up for in sheer groove in abundance, carried by some strong bass from Faz Couri, also again, the guitars are confident and everything just falls into place perfectly.“In Search Of The Sun” starts off rather creepily, it’s quite morose and almost haunting, showing that if needed, the band can tone it down further still yet maintain a level of interest. The music itself simpler but they still deliver a great chorus. “Burn”and “Draw The Line” keep up with the hard rock vibe of the album but are both ever so slightly jazz/funk infused, giving everything a fresh feel but staying true to their heavy roots, before we finish up on “The Eyes Behind I”; another quirky, incredibly catchy intro and ultimately, another flawless track. If we can take one thing from this album is that, in searching for sun, they've stumbled across a new sense of purpose and a fresh pallet of ideas. Musically there is nothing but improvement on display here and as far as first album’s go, this is one these five Londoner’s should be extremely proud of. [8] The album “The World Is Yours” is out September 1st The single “The World Is Yours” is available now: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-world-is-yours-single/id885823341

Continuing my chat with the Bam and the guys from FUCKFACE UNSTOPPABLE, here we talk about the album, collaborations…and Jackass 4….GAV: So yeah, I was going to ask, obviously with this being the 2nd UK tour. Since last time round, you’ve released the debut FFU album, recorded mainly in Reykjavik, how have you found the response to the album regarding your own songs and the covers? How has the whole thing gone down?BAM: I’m stoked on it, I read your review, and I Liked it…GAV: Thank you very muchBAM: …and I read one other one, and that’s pretty much it [laughs] I don’t have a phone here, and going on line is such a pain In the ass, for me, that like, I check it once every ten days, and there’s hardly any time to look at YOUTUBE clips or anything…NOVAK: I talk to a lot of fans at the shows and I ask them like, “Honestly, what do you think?” I mean, if you think it sucked, tell me it sucked, I really want to know the truth, and they’re like, honestly they came here expecting to see some Jackass shit on stage, Bam just being a fucking idiot, and you can see they wanted to be an ass-hole about it, but like, they really can’t be, it’s like there’s really a method to this madness and they seem to respect it, unless they are lying to my face…[laughs]GAV: Regarding the whole Jackass thing and the live show, obviously you still get the odd fan expecting to see stunts or that sort of thing, in the UK there a lot of health and safety issues, like, you can’t crowd surf, you can’t do the wall of death, there’s a lot of safety implications regarding UK shows, have you found that a problem on tour?BAM: Yeah it’s been a problem, we had like, a letter written from one of the Academy’s, and they go “Rubbish Heap is the most terrible example of a person…” [laughs] He tried to French kiss the pit security, he was pissing ON stage, he uh, was diving off of the roof of the tour bus into the crowd…NICKI: He was forcefully trying to kiss EVERYBODY in the crowd…NOVAK: He seemed receptive to criticism early in the evening but later on there was NO use talking to him [laughs]BAM: It was a letter that deserved to be framedALEX: He was this, massive security guy, and there was this huge gap between the stage and the crowd, between the barrier right? I was jumping over it, back and forth the whole show, and then this guy was like, trying to pull me aside to tell me I can’t do that, and he finally grabs me, this huge guy, massive dude, shaved head…GAV: They normally tend to pick the big steroid abusers or, that kind of guyALEX: He’s yelling at me, you can’t do this, you can’t dive of that…and I'm like “ok, ok, ok” and then I just grabbed his big fat meat-head head and fucking make out with him, and he threw me like ten feet…

BAM: But why did you call him a faggot? You’re the faggot now aren’t you? [laughs]GAV: That probably didn't help [laughs]ALEX: So if you call somebody a faggot, and then YOU French kiss em’? Then fuck you…BAM: I really like controversy, and, if you say the word faggot and a gay person is offended, but then YOU are the one to French kiss the guy…controversy, irony, I like it all [laughs]GAV: But yeah, coming back to the album, obviously it’s a great album, as you mentioned earlier I reviewed it, I enjoyed it, obviously being yourself, you've managed to get a lot of guest vocals on board, including Dani from CRADLE OF FILTHetc., how do you feel working with these guys in established bands?BAM: I flew out Dani to Iceland for my wedding, uh, and we were already in the studio and we decided to do “Sleepless”because I really like than song from ANETHEMA, and I know that he covered that a while back, so I knew he already knew the words, and uh, we just did it kinda for fun but it turned out really, really good, and then he liked it so much, that I did a track for him, “Beds Are Burning”…I sung that for him for his album , it’s called “Devilment”GAV: When you get together to write music, do you pre-consider guest vocals?BAM: Well with that one, we were just covering an Anethema song so…it just went like, we picked that one and we just did itGAV: Obviously the album has been out now, officially, a good couple of months, is it too early right now to talk about a 2nd album? Or are you just enjoying what you’re doing with the 1st one right now?BAM: Well, we have some ideas for some new stuff but I'm just enjoying this, touring, basically like, I'm living in a house that’s moving, with all my best friends…and we get paid to do that? That’s the greatest thing that anything can wish for…the only thing that’s tough is boning her out! [Points at Nicky] [laughs]GAV: Put it bluntly why don’t you? [laughs]ALEX: We have a band with some of the best musicians that I've ever worked with in my life and when it comes to writing music it comes quickly, so yes, the answer is yes, there is new music coming…BAM: The thing is, is that, there’s so much music that I listen to that no one has ever heard of, that, I just want to cover it and play it, I mean, Is it a cover? Yes…have you ever heard it? No. GAV: It’s, technically original in that sense…BAM: Yeah like, I want to play a rockin’ ass song, I mean like a CLUTCH song or a TURBONEGRO song yeah I'm sure people have heard of it…NICKI: Because of you…

BAM: Well not necessarily like in Europe, Turbonegro is really big anyway…GAV: Ok then well with that in mind, are there any bands in particular right now that you’re really into that people otherwise may or may not know?BAM: Well…THETURBO AC’s has a really good song called “Substance” that I don’t think anybody has ever heard, that I would really like to do…and uh, if you like electronic kind of rock, like, this band called THE FAINT from Nebraska, they do a song called “Evil Voices” that I’d like to cover…but I mean like, if you’re a fan of that genre of music, then you’d know…if you’re a rock fan liking Clutch you've probably never heard of The Faint…so, it’s just bands like that…I don’t know if TURBO AC’s are big at all…but I really like the song…NOVAK: You've kind of done that your whole life anyway, y’know you put these bands out with CKY back in the day, and VIVA LA BAM that no one has heard about, which pushed you forward, and it brings more of an audience…GAV: It’s like the two compilation CD’s you released, it’s promoting bands basically, you've done a lot for that, and it’s cool…I was going to ask as well, going back to guest vocals, people cannot deny the fact you have a massive link with the band HIM…is there any potential collaboration at all in the future? Have you talked to Ville?BAM: I saw them at SONISPHERE yeah…but, I don’t know if FFU is necessarily, like, y’know HIM is like a band that I really like, and they do what they do well, but, If FFU was going to sing “Join Me In Death”I don’t think it’s going to go over very well [laughs]…y’know, I can’t sing “Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart”after singing about bending my dick around the back of my ass [laughs]GAV: You could probably remix or tweak a song, throw in some innuendo or something [laughs] no disrespect to Ville or anything like that…BAM: It’s probably slim to none…but you never know….we might find a song we can both agree upon [laughs] y’know cos I sing about bending dicks and fucking yourself, and he sings about love…[laughs]ALEX: Have you ever tried bending your dick around the back of your arse and fucking yourself Sir?GAV: Um…I really, couldn't [laughs]BAM: Well if it’s a rock or a hard on it’s not gonna work, it needs to be a soft on, but, apparently on the inter-web, somebody’s done it…ALEX: Novak and I last night had a jack-off competition…GAV: Who won?BAM: Novak won…GAV: Congratulations [laughs]NOVAK: Thanks bud! [laughs]

GAV: What were the terms of the game?BAM: Whoever could cum first got $100…NOVAK: See, me doing a year in prison helped me deal with that whole thingALEX: I was so nervous; my dick just looked like, a squashed flamingo…BAM: A squashed flamingo? [laughs]ALEX: Mine is weird because I have a foreskin anyway…yours probably does too because you’re European, do you have a foreskin?GAV: Yeah I have foreskin…ALEX: High five! Foreskin buddies! [laughs]GAV: [laughs] High five! But yes…just to quickly wrap things up…one or two things I want to briefly mention; BAMS BAD ASS GAMESHOW…talk us through how that came to be…BAM: We uh, wanted to see if random everyday people could go through JACKASS like stunts to see if they could win $10,000…and uh, y’know it was fun doing it but it was with a major network that had a lot of safety issues, like they needed to be fully padded with wrist guards and helmets and shit…so uh, but when a soccer mom is doing it it’s funnier than if it was a tough and buff dude willing to get hurt. But uh, it was a fun thing, and uh, I knocked Novak’s teeth out one time [laughs]GAV: That was in the uh, phone booth segment yeah?BAM: They didn't know the gnarliness of it though…like, he was bloody as hell, he was complaining for twenty minutes, and they didn't show any of that…NOVAK: They wanted Jackass stunts, which are rated R…but wanted it rated PG…or whatever is lower than PG…so they just tamed it down a lot, so it was hard to work with.BAM: When I knocked out Novak’s tooth and it was all bloody, the camera guys, they were like “Oh my god cut cameras this is serious”…I'm like “Cut cameras? You’re getting gold!” You know they just didn't understand how we work y’know?GAV: I would happily be on that show, I wouldn't even care about the prize money I’d just love to do all that stuff [laughs], but, to wrap things up, having mentioned the stunts…there have been rumours on line, some images floating around regarding a potential Jackass 4…can you elaborate on that?BAM: Well, we've been discussing it, but Knoxville’s been busy with other movies, like, I alone have enough idea’s to do a whole movie, y’know I have like a book full of Jackass ideas, but, nothing is confirmed at the moment…GAV: I was just asking really as, with Knoxville having released BAD GRAMPA last year, it did really well and it was dedicated to Ryan, which was a lovely touch…I was just wondering if the whole consensus was, that all of you guys be willing and prepared to do a fourth film together?BAM: Yeah, we are, and, if it DOES happen, we’ll call it “We’re Not Dunn Yet”…get it? [laughs] - END -

Wednesday, July 9th, Bam Margera’s FUCKFACE UNSTOPPABLE rolled into Cardiff to play THE GLOBE as part of their current UK tour, luckily I was able to hop aboard the tour bus and chat with Bam, alongside his wife Nicki, Brandon Novak and Alex Flamsteed before the show, where they answered some questions and talked about all sorts of crazy shit…GAV: I'm with Bam here, alongside Nicki, Novak and Flamsteed from Fuckface Unstoppable…

BAM: Alex Flamsteed, aka Rubbish Heap

ALEX: I'm known as Rubbish Heap in this band for a good reason.BAM: He got off with some girl the other night, and in the heat of the moment, she punched him in the face, and his tooth got knocked out.ALEX: I got a sexual injury!BAM: Yeah, but she told you to soak it in milk!ALEX: I didn't soak it in milk, I threw her fucking arse out of the bus and told her “fuck you, you cost me $2000 dollars on my teeth!”BAM: They left on bad terms…GAV: That’s understandable! [laughs] But, yes, basically you’re in the UK again now for the 2nd tour, and obviously your fans know what FFU is all about, but for those generic rock and metal fans that aren't familiar with FFU, how would you describe what this is?BAM: Let’s say if uh, CLUTCH fucked TURBONEGRO and had a kid it’d be us [laughs], and then a little bit of GG ALLIN coz Novak sings naked, Nicki B is half naked, Rubbish Heap dives in the crowd left and right that’s why he has bruises all over his back…he looks like a leopard.ALEX: I look like a leopard…I have leopard print bruises! [laughs]BAM: I got a fucking elbow pussy! [shows deep cut on his elbow]GAV: Nice…how the fuck did that happen?BAM: Me and him were fighting out front and then I got cut on some glassALEX: I like, smashed a bottle in fake anger…GAV: Fake anger? [laughs]ALEX: Well, we got a camera that goes out the front of the tour bus…BAM: Yeah and, it’s always recording so, we wanted to just get footage, so we started a fight outside…GAV: As you do [laughs]

ALEX: But I’d smashed a bottle, and I went to tackle Bam and then, well like, I’d had a couple of beers to be truthful, and I went to tackle Bam and like, I tackled him right onto where I’d smashed the bottle, and, he landed on his elbow, and I feel really bad about itBAM: You should! But, I popped your ear drum out! I slapped him when he was sleeping once and I popped his ear drum out and I felt really bad about it because he’s a drummer and he should be able to hear…ALEX: It’s all fun and games!GAV: All fun and games indeed, but, you’re here In the UK now, you've worked a few dates around the fact you’re playing SONISPHERE this year, well, you played Sonisphere sorry. Obviously you've toured the UK, the US, Canada, etc.. How did Sonisphere compare to the fact you've played club gigs and local venues, size-wise, how did that feel?BAM: All the shows have been really good and uh, y’know, Sonisphere was rad, but, I like the tight clubs with no barriers, the fans are right there, and the security y’know, is like, “If a fan jumps up on stage you want me to like, rough em up and throw em out?" Hell no! Leave em up there! Let em do whatever they want. “But what if they trip on the guitar wire?” Then they trip on the guitar wire!ALEX: I like playing big festivals but like, when the first person in the crowd is like 15 feet away from you, because there’s this huge stage and this huge barrier, it’s like, it’s fucking awesome, y’know don’t get me wrong, I absolute love playing outdoor shows and festivals, but, when there’s no barrier and they are right up in your face it’s so much more intimate and fun and the crowd has so much more fun that way, there’s pros and cons to both so…GAV: There’s more connection with the crowd that way because obviously, you pour your heart and soul into the live show, and then, you appreciate the feedback from the fans...ALEX: Well they’re just as much of a part of the show as the showBAM: I think they’re more of a part of it though when they’re right up front, coz, y’know, you’re slapping hands, diving into the crowd, stuff like that.ALEX: And like we, we like to have everyone that’s in the crowd, be part of the show, rather than like, we’re not just gonna stand there and perform to them, we are part of their show, and they are part of our show, and that’s the whole thing, but at the same time, playing to 15,000 is absolutely fucking awesome too y’know? It’s the greatest feeling in the world, but also playing to couple of hundred people in a packed out little club, and I can fucking, French kiss people, and Novak’s balls are hanging in people’s faces, that’s hilarious.BAM: Thank god Rubbish Heap played with GUTTERMOUTH, like he knows about rock shows, that if it’s a Monday night and nobody shows up, like, one time we were in Detroit, and it was a venue with 2000 capacity, and there was only 400 people there and it looked like no one was there, coz they were all spread out, it looked like there were fucking five people there to me and I'm like “Jess, I can’t do this, I am not playing this show, I’m just not”…and Rubbish Heap was like, “I know what to do, Every mother fucker right now get the fuck up on stage!” So now there’s, 400 people in this massive venue, and they’re all on stage and we’re wall to wall packed, elbow to elbow…

ALEX: We were crowd surfing ON stageBAM: It wound up being one of the best shows BECAUSE of that, and I would never thought to do that, and he has like the gift of gab for doing that, like, just coz, if you’re Jess, y’know my brother, “Alright everybody should try to come up on stage coz it’d be like, way awesome…” y’know It just wouldn't be the same, it just wouldn't work [laughs]ALEX: But y’know like, at the same time, when it comes to that, I'm extremely fortunate enough to have, Bam and I both doing front-man sort of stuff, it’s great because, it gives us both the ability to have awesome crowd interaction and awesome vocals at the same time. If I like, dive into the crowd and my microphone goes flying, cable breaks, it tends to happen every, probably five minutes, and then there’s Novak too y’know, it’s just a good mixture.NOVAK: We’re good on stage but they don’t really expect much out of us ANY other time on the tour, they don’t expect us to load in or load out, or make it on time anywhere or be responsible, but we’re good on stage so that pays the dues [laughs]GAV: I was there last year at Bristol, and, sadly you weren't there at the time…ALEX: He was there…GAV: No, Novak wasn't at BristolBAM: He was in the hospital with his blown out ass-hole. He blew out his ass-hole!GAV: You BLEW OUT your ass-hole?NOVAK: Yeah…GAV: Can you explain HOW that even happened? [laughs]BAM: He asked me for $30 in the worst neighbourhood ever, and he’s been a heroin addict for seven years…or more…and I knew that whatever he wanted my $30 for was for nothing good, so I was like, “I'm not gonna give you $30”, and he kept begging and begging, and I'm like, “Shove this rock up your ass and I’ll give you $30”, so he shoves this rock up his ass, and he forgets that its up there for like, two days…ALEX: A jagged ass rock by the way!BAM: Then, he dives in the crowd with a girl’s thong on, and, they rip the thong like a king wedgie, and rip the rock out, so, dude, he blew his ass out, and it looked like a uh, apricot was hanging out of his assNOVAK: Blood was shooting out of my ass hole and, they wanted to sew my ass hole shut, and, I was actually going through withdrawal at the timeALEX: Of course you were! [laughs]

NOVAK: So, yeah, they kept giving me morphine, and I'm like, well “I have a really high tolerance so I need more morphine”, and they were like, “We've given you enough to kill an elephant at this point”…, and I'm like “Yeah but I'm a drug addict and I need more”…so I have a high tolerance, so after like the 6th shot, I said “Alright one more shot”…they asked me “If we give you one more shot will you stay through the night and have the operation in the morning?” So I'm like “Yeah yeah I’ll stay through the night”, so, they give me the shot, and then I rip it out and I'm like, “Thanks for the fucking Gaids shot ass hole”,and then just walk out of the hospital…BAM: [laughs] He rips the needle out of his own arm, like, the nurse is supposed to do it, he’s just like, “Ha! Gaids shot for the road!”NOVAK: I really showed them because I still to this day shit out blood OR have a haemorrhoid, every fucking day, so I really showed them huh? [laughs]ALEX: But the other thing is, his girlfriend Apple was there right…BAM: The Doctor goes, “So YOU are his girlfriend?”And she’s like, “Yeah?”, and he’s like, “…And you don’t think that he’s gay?”She’s like, “Why?” He’s like “This is not from a thong ripped open, this is from years and years of damage to his anus…”, and Novak’s like, “Well I forgot to mention Doc, I used to shove drugs up there and hide it like a glove compartment” [laughs]NOVAK: My ass hole was like a suitcase in times of need, you know what I'm saying?ALEX: For nine years of Novak's life his arse hole was literally a safeGAV: I can understand the logic behind it but I can’t relate personally [laughs]ALEX: What you've never shoved drugs up your arse?NOVAK: You haven’t fucking lived! [laughs]ALEX: You gotta try that! I've never actually done that either…that’s a Novak thing…

If you ignore “Best Of” and remix compilations, the last time we heard from Sweden’s gothic, glam-metal maestro’s DEATHSTARS properly, was 2009’s “Night Electric Night”. It was a solid album from start to finish and further proved their reliability for churning out top tunes, but while the prospect of brand new material is exciting, it’s worth noting that there’s been a little shuffling going on in the ranks. Now as a 4-piece unit, courtesy of the departure of guitarist Cat Casino, Deathstars have had to tighten up as musicians, especially on the live stage, but has it affected their song writing? Upon listening to the latest record; “The Perfect Cult”, it appears not. Opening up with “Explode”, it’s clear that the core Deathstars sound hasn't wavered in the slightest; we still have the brooding bass, the almost haunting synthesisers and of course, Whiplasher’s distinctive, deep vocal drawl. It’s all very familiar, and despite the tracks title, it doesn't really excite a great deal, it’s quite relaxed all things considered. First single, “All The Devils Toys”, is a brilliantly catchy track and is in all honesty some of the most accessible music they've ever released, it’s got a real foot tapping chorus and is easily up there with past hits like “Cyanide” in terms of quality; great stuff. The title track keeps things rolling along nicely, generally more of the same, or, textbook Deathstars you could say, while “Temple Of Insects” and then finally “Noise Cuts” see out the album as standard. Essentially it can be said that, yes, this is yet another strong album from the Swede’s, they've not lost their touch, but, it can also be said that they've not really learnt anything new either. Whiplasher has never really had much of an extensive vocal range, not just evident here but spanning all of their albums to date really, and, without trying to sound harsh they risk becoming a one trick pony. Granted, as I said they are capable of churning out quality tunes, but they do need a change of tactics if they are to continue long-term. They have their fan base, but it doesn't stop things eventually going stale. Perfect in name, but if this were one of the Devil’s toys…I'm sure he wouldn't play with it for very long. [6]The album; "The Perfect Cult" is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-perfect-cult/id876431574

When you think about modern rock music and big bands, few have reached the levels of fame and success as LINKIN PARK. Their breakthrough album “Hybrid Theory” propelled them to super stardom back in 2000, and really they've never looked back, until now that is. Having sold millions of records worldwide, and constantly changing and evolving their core sound to incorporate a more and more electronic style, this consistently lighter approach started alienating a lot of their fans, especially the ones who have followed them since day one. People believed they were no longer the band they had grown to love, that they had sold out, releasing mediocre records (see “A Thousand Suns”) instead of the past hits such as “Crawling” and “Feint”. How have Linkin Park responded? They've released this; “The Hunting Party”…have they given the fans what they've craved for, for so long? Or is the hunt more of a wild goose chase? Press play and we’re greeted with Chester Bennington screaming angrily through your speakers with a computerised vocal distortion in “Keys To The Kingdom”. The guitars are crunching, the drums are being beaten with a sense of purpose, it’s seems they've reignited their sense of passion and they’re playing with a rekindled sense of intensity. It’s a promising start indeed. “All For Nothing” sounds huge, it’s given a grimy urban vibe with Mike Shinoda spitting his rap-inspired lyrics along-side guest vocals from Page Hamilton of HELMET. Lead single “Guilty All The Same” features more guest vocals, this time from acclaimed American rapper RAKIM, who adds a touch of class to proceedings, showing Shinoda how it’s done, albeit briefly. “Wastelands” and “Until It’s Gone” keep the party going mid album, the latter sounding similar in style to some of the works LP have done for the TRANSFORMERS franchise. “Final Masquerade” dips into softer territory, showcasing what a great singing voice Chester actually has when he’s not screaming; the man can hold a note or two, before we finish up on “A Line In The Sand”. Sounding very much like a statement, Linkin Park are back, it’s as though they've turned to the fans and said “Hey, you wanted attitude, you wanted the Linkin Park of old, well you got it”. It’s the perfect closing track. This new album may not be quite as good as their début (and quite frankly, I doubt anything ever will be), but what’s important here is that they've stripped everything back and self-produced a raw, rough and ready album full of great rock songs. There is a slight nostalgia about the record, it sounds as though it could easily slot in between “Meteora” and “Minutes To Midnight” on the bands album timeline, and quite frankly it’s a welcome return to form. Just, please…don’t ruin it with another remix album. [8]"The Hunting Party" is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-hunting-party/id873395041

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Gavin J Griffiths, a.k.a GavTheGothicChav, lover of new music and supporter of bands. Inspired by a mixture of horror and comedy, and fueled by a blend of alcohol and sarcasm...if you're singer / in a band and would like a review written up, please do get in touch via the email address at the top of the page and I'll get back to you ASAP. Much love x